Garage door



Oct. 11, 1949. G. BERRY ET AL GARAGE DOOR Filed Feb. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR.

' Glenn 519mg George W .jjaboen Oct. 11, 1949. G. BERRY ET AL GARAGE DOOR 2 Sheets$heet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1945 INVEN TOR: G/enpfierry BY Gear MM 3 3. At this time tension spring 36 is under its maximum tension and toggle joint 25, 26 is in nearly straightened position, that is, link 26 is nearly aligned with link 25 and toggle joint 26, 21 is partially collapsed or jack-knifed. Since toggle 25, 26 is slightly over center, the pull of spring 36 is ineffective to raise the door about shaft l3 and actually a small component of the pulling force of spring ,36 is holding'the door closed. If desired, the length of link 26 can be adjusted to shorten the same slightly so that in lowered position of the door toggle 25, 26 will not pass over center and will be substantially in straightened position.

To open the door the operator pushes outwardly on the same so that it swings clockwise, Fig. 3, about shafts I 2 and I3. As soon as pivot 29 passes to the left, Fig. 3, of a straight line running through the center of shaft l3 and pivot 28, spring 36 tends to lift the door about shafts l2 and I3 because the tension of spring 36 acts through arms 33 to turn'shaft 30 clockwisein its bearings 3| and thereby tend to straighten toggle 26, 21. Since toggle 26, 21 is carried on door 4 and cannot move .toward the straightened position, shown in Fig. 5, unless the door swings clockwise about shafts l2 and I3, therefore the reaction to the pull of spring 36 on arm 33 resolves itself into lifting the door about shafts l2 and [3. The fully raised position of the door is shown in Fig. 5. Tripping shaft 50 is so positioned that toggle 26, 21 does not quite pass over center, that is, pivot 29 does not pass below a line passing through the centers of shaft 30 and pivot 28. However, toggle 26, 2'! approaches near enough straightened position so that it release ably locks the door in raised position. The tension of spring 36 is so adjusted or gauged that in the raised. position of the door spring 36 assists in holding the door in raised position.

The door may be lowered by exerting a relatively hard pull on the edge thereof which will cause .toggle 21, 26 to break upwardly, Fig. 5. For easy door lowering, however, trip lever is actuated through cord 53 to cause trip finger 52 to. raise pivot '29 upwardly and thereby break toggle 26, 27 preparatory to lowering the door. s the door lowers about shafts I2 and I3, arm 33 swings counter-clockwise about shaft 30, Fig. 5, and thereby increases the tension of spring 36 which acts to counter-balance the weight of the door. 1

It should be noted that the entire counterbalancing mechanism for the door is mounted as a unit on the door and is assembled in the door opening as a unit with'the door. To assemble the door in the opening the door is first positioned or fitted in the opening, whereupon brackets 9 and H] are slipped over the ends of shafts l2 and I3, respectively,and then secured in place by screws ll. Another valuable feature of my door is that the counter-balancing mechanism is entirely enclosed in'housing l9 where it is protected from dust and the weather and housing l9 also has a safety valve in that it prevents any one from catching his fingers in the counter-balancing mechanism.

We claim:

1. In a swinging door, a stationary pivot memher about which the door swings, support mechanism comprising two toggle joints, said toggle joints comprising two outer links and an intermediate link common to both toggle joints, one of said outer links being fixed to the stationary pivot member and the other outer link being pivthe toggle joint oted on the door whereby as the door swings about its axis one toggle joint moves toward its open position and the other moves away from its open position toward a jack-knifed position, the opened toggle joint tending to retain the door into the position to which it is swung to open said toggle joint.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 including a counter-balancing spring acting between the door and the outer link which is pivoted on the door, said spring tending to open which includes the link pivoted to the door.

3. In a swinging door, a housing mounted on the door, a shaft journalled in said housing and having an end projecting out of said housing, a support for said end of the shaft adapted to be secured on the door jamb, said shaft having a 'no'n-rotative connection with its support, said door swinging about said stationary shaft as an axis, mechanism for supporting the door when in raised position, said mechanism being housed within said housing and comprising two toggle joints having a common intermediate link, the

' outer link of one toggle joint being fixed to the stationary shaft, the outer link of the other toggle joint being pivotally supported in said housf ing whereby the one toggle jointopens as the door is raised and tends to support the same whereas-the other toggle joint jack-knifes.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 including a counter-balancing spring having one end secured to the door and the other end secured to the toggle link which is pivotally supported in the housing whereby when the door is swung u-pe wardly the spring counter-balances the weightof the door.

5. In a swinging door, a housing mounted on the door, a shaft journalled in said housing and having an end projecting out of said housing, a support for said end of the shaft adapted to be secured on the door jamb, said shaft having a non-,- rotative connection with its support, said door swinging aboutsaid stationary'shaft as an axis, mechanism forsupporting the door when in raised position, said mechanism being housed within said housing and comprising two toggle joints having. a common intermediate 'link, the outer link of one toggle joint being fixed to the stationary shaft in substantial parallelism with the outer face of the door, the outer link of the other toggle joint being pivotally supported in said housing at a point further from the outer face of the door than the. stationary shaft whereby the toggle jointwith the stationary outer link jack-knifes as the door opens and the other toggle joint opens and tends to support the door in raised position. w 6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 m cluding resilient means mounted entirely on the door and co-acting with the toggle link which is pivoted in the housing for counter-balancing the weight of the door as it is opened.

'7. In a swinging door, a stationary shaft adapted to be mounted on the door jamb, a journal bearing mounted on the door for said shaft whereby the door swings about the stationary shaft as an axis, mechanism for supporting the door when in raised position, said mechanism comprising two toggle joints having a common intermediate link, the outer end of the outer link of one toggle joint being fixed to said stationary shaft and the outer end of the outer link. of the other toggle joint being pivotally supported on said door whereby the one toggle joint opens as the door is raised and tends to support the same and the other toggle joint simultaneously jackknifes.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7 including resilient means wholly supported by the door and acting between the door and the outer toggle link which is pivoted on the door for counter-balancing the weight of the door as it is raised.

9. In a swinging door, a stationary shaft adapted to be mounted on the door jamb, a journal bearing mounted on the door for said shaft whereby the door swings about the stationary shaft as an axis, mechanism for supporting the door when in raised position, said mechanism comprising two toggle joints having a common intermediate link, the outer end of the outer link of one togg-le joint being fixed to said stationary shaft and the outer end of the outer link of the other toggle joint being pivotally supported on said door whereby the one toggle joint opens as the door is raised and tends to support the same and the other toggle joint simultaneously jackkniies, and tripping mechanism actuatable when the door is raised for initiating movement of the open toggle joint preparatory to lowering the door.

10. Mechanism for counter-balancing and swingably supporting a door member in a door opening frame member comprising in combination a housing mounted on one of said members, a shaft journalled in said housing and having an end projecting out of said housing, a support for said end of the shaft adapted to be secured on the other of said members, said shaft having a non-rotative connection with its support whereby the one member swings relative to the other member about said shaft as an axis, mechanism for supporting the door when in raised position and housed within said housing and comprising two toggle joints having a common intermediate link, the outer link of one toggle joint being fixed to the said shaft, the outer link of the other toggle joint being pivotally supported in said housing whereby the one toggle joint opens as the door is raised and tends to support the same whereas the other toggle joint jack-knifes.

1 The combination as set forth in claim 10 including a counter-balancing spring having one end secured to the door and the other end secured to the toggle link which i pivotally supported in the housing whereby when the door is swung upwardly the spring counter-balances the weight of the door GLENN BERRY. GEORGE W. SJOBOEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

